Charles j



(No Model.)

0. J. KINTNER. ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVICE.

Patented May 12, 1 891.

ALMi Z VL m: NORmS runs 00., murmumov, WASHINGTON. m c.

NIT'E STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. CHARLES J. KINTNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICSECRET SERVICE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,026, dated May 12,1891.

Application filed July 15, 1890. Serial No. 358,860. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KINTNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have made anew and useful Invention in Electrical Signaling Devices, of which thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the drawings, is afull, complete, and exact description.

My invention relates particularly to electrical signal-transmitters; andits objects are, first, to devise a transmitter adapted forcentral-station use and to automatically transmit any one of a series ofprearranged signals;

second, to prevent the interruption of a signal during the time it isbeing transmitted; third, to allow one signal, and one signal only, tobe transmitted at a time and to restore the signal mechanism to itsnormal condition after this transmission has been completed; fourth, toaccomplish the several features hereinafter indicated. I accomplishthese several objects by the use of the mechanism hereinafter described,but particularly pointed out in the claims which followthis'specification.

My invention is especially. designed and adapted for use in connectionwith the automatic individual signaling apparatus invented by Adin A.Hatch and disclosed in his patent, No. $5,983, granted by the UnitedStates Patent Office on the 2d day of September, 1890, and withanalogous signal-receiving apparatus. In the invention disclosed in saidpatent to Adin A. Hatch individual signal-receiving apparatus is.actuated at outlying stations and caused each to respond to its ownparticular transmitter, in which characters of the Morse codeareutilized and combinations of varying orders of intermittent currentimpulses are transmitted for the purpose of operating such individualre-' ceivers to the exclusion of those not wanted.

My invention is particularly designed for use on a main-line circuitwherein there is located a signaling-battery and a series of suchindividual automatic receivers, and it will be clearly understood byreferring to the acco1n panying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a planview showing the circuitnaling apparatus indicated connections indiagram. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. 1, taken on line 2 2, asseen looking from left to right in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3is a detail sectional view of one of the signal-disks.

Referring now to the drawingsin detail, to is the main line running fromthe earth E through a series of outlying individual sigby signal-boxes1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

'B A is the signaling-battery located at a central or signaling stationfrom which it is desired to call any of the outlying operators throughthe agency of my improved apparatus, which I will now describe indetail.

0 is a clock mechanism impelled by spring or weight power, or anypreferred type of energy, the last gear-wheel thereof meshing with apinion P on a shaft B, journaled at J J.

S S S S S are signal-transmitting disks, each of which has upon itssurface a prearranged signal in the nature of conductingteeth adapted tocontact, respectively, with theconductingsignaling-armsEtoE Thesesignaling-disks are arranged, as shown, at the desired distances aparton the axles B B, and

are electrically in contact therewith. On the right-hand end of theshaft B is a cam-wheel B having an irregular cam on its surface, whichis adapted to give lateral motion to a bar or connecting-link K, havingsliding bearings in the frame of the apparatus, this motion beingimparted by a lever L pivoted at d, and having a pin which plays in thecamgroove at one end and a corresponding pin P on the bar orconnecting-link K, as clearly shown.

P P are pins arranged on the upper and lower sides of the sliding bar orconnectinglink K, said pins lyingin the paths of the signal-arms E to Eand E", &c. These signal-arms are connected at their pivot-points withthe main-line 10 by wires to 112 10 to w &c., respectively, and thecontacting ends of said armsrest normally on or near the exterior endsof beveled contacting segments N, the interior or horizontal portions ofwhich constitute part of the signal-disks proper.

F F F, &c., are non-conducting disks or guards, each having a notch inthat portion of its periphery which rests normally near the free ends ofthe arms E to s is a conducting-spring which bears on the shaft B, andconnects the battery B A electrically with said shaft, and s is asimilar conducting-spring connected at one end to the main line to, withits other end resting normally on a conducting-lug L, so that thecurrent from the battery B A passes directly to line by wire 20, spring5, shaft B, lug L, spring 5, and through the signal-boxes 1, 2, 3, 4,and 5. In Fig. 2 I have shown two sets of these transmitters arrangedupon parallel shafts B B, the shafts being geared together through theagency of a common driving- Wheel and pinions P, and adapted, therefore,to rotate both in the same direction and at the same speed. Of courseany number of such shafts may be geared to the mechanism 0. The axles BB are both in metallic contact with the frame of the machine, While thesignaling-arms E to E are insulated therefrom. The lower arms E arejournaled around the bearings of the upper set of signalingarms by longjournal-bearings R, and are adapted to bear against pins on the lowerside of the bar or connecting-link K. (See Fig. 2.)

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Under normal conditionsthe battery-current from B A passes directly to line through the wireto, as already indicated, or if the ends of the arms E to E restnormally against the beveled bearings N it will pass to line to throughthe branch wires to w to 1.0 Suppose now it is desired to transmit asignal from some one of these transmitting-disks, as S The signal-arm Eis pushed to the left through the agency of its handle, and the free endthereof is brought into alignment with the signal-teeth on the disk Swhile the other end of the arm E is forced against one of the pins P,thereby causing the bar or connecting-link K to be thrust to the left,and with it the lever L so hat the pin on the free end of said lever isreleased from its bearingn on the shoulder in the cam of the wheel B andthe clock mechanism is allowed to impart an advance motion to the shaftB. As this shaft rotates, therefore, the circuit is broken, firstthrough the branch 20, its spring 3, and lug L, and the current istransmitted from the battery through the shaft to the disk S and throughthe teeth thereof in succession as it revolves to the arm E branch wire20 linewire to, through the several outlying signalboxes 1, 2, 3, at,and 5, actuating the apparatus in box 2 to the completion of its phaseand warning the operator at that station that he has been called. Thenthe shaft B has made one comple e revolution, the cam-wheel B causes thepin in the end of the lever L to be forced to the left, and henceimparts to the bar or connecting-link K a motion to the right, therebycausing the pin P on the left-hand side of the lever L to restore saidlever to its original position parallel with levers L, L L or L At thesame time the shaft is again checked in its rotation, and the apparatusis ready for the transmission of the same or any one of the signals, asbefore. It will be seen that after the apparatushas once been startedthe signal-lever cannot be removed from the signal-disk, nor can anyother signal-lever be placed in operative relation with its signaldiskuntil the shaft B has made a complete revolution and is restored to itsnormal condition, so that the contacting ends of all the levers are inthe paths of the notches of the disks F. WVhen it isdesired to transmitany signal from one Of the signal-disks on the shaft B, the operatoractuates one of the lower set of signal-levers E", as seen in Fig. 2,said signal-levers being the duplicates of those shown in Fig. 1 andbeing operatively connected with the bar or connecting-link K by pins onthe lower side of said bar, in the same manner as the arms E, &c., wereconnected to that bar by pins P.

It is of course obvious that when the free ends of the signal-arms E toE restnormally on the shoulders N, when said shoulders are of conductingmaterial and connected with the signal-disks, the spring 5, shunt-wirew, and lug L may be done away with. I prefer, however, the arrangementshown, and that the free ends of the arms E to E be absolutely out ofcontact with the shoulders N, 7

thereby diminishing the friction as much as possible at starting.

I do not limit myself to the use of this apparatus with the special formof signalingreceiver above referred to, as it is obvious it may beutilized in any place where any one of a series of signals is to be sentto one or more outlying stations, as in telephonic, telegraphic,fire-signaling and analogous apparatus. Nor do I limit myself tov thespecific mechanism herein shown and described for causing any one of aseries of signals to be transmitted from a singlemultiplex'signaltransmitter to the exclusion of any other in dividualsignal from the same transmitter during the time that the first signalis being turned in, as I believe it is broadly new with me to so devisea multiple signal-transmitter that during the time any one signal isbeing transmitted no other signal can be turned in from the sametransmitter.

I am aware that it is old in the art of firetelegraphy to cause a givensignal-transmitter to so act upon the other transmitters located atoutlying signal-boxes as to lock them out during the time that a signalis being sent in from the first-named box, and my claims hereinaftermade are limited to a multiplex transmitter, in which all of the signalsare sent from a common instrument located at a single signaling-station.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A signaling-instrument having one or more transmitting-disks securedto a powerimpelled shaft, and'one or more circuit making and breakingarms adapted to make and break circuit through said transmitting-disks,in combination with a stop device carried by the shaft, and mechanicalconnections operatively connecting the circuit-breaking devices with thepower-impelled shaft, whereby the signal is first automaticallytransmitted and the application of the power then checked, substantiallyas described.

2. In a signal-transmitter, a signal disk or wheel carrying a disk orguard and having a circuit making and breaking device adapted toautomatically transmit a prearranged code or signal, said disk or wheelbeing fixedly secured to mechanism for driving it, in combination with astop device connected to the driving mechanism, and mechanicalconnections between the signal-contacting lever and the stop device,substantially as described.

3. In a signal-transmitter, two or more signal-disks having each aprearranged order of electrical contacts, in combination with acontacting device, one for each disk, adapted to rest operatively incontact with said contacts, and guards or disks for holding saidcontacting devices one in operative relation with its signal-disk duringthe transmission of a signal and the others out of operative relationwith their signal-disks during such time, substantially as described.

4. In a signal-transmitter, a series of cir cuit-interrupting diskshaving each a prearranged code or signal, a series of pivotedcircuit-controlling levers, one for each disk, a protecting disk orguard, one for each circuit-interrupting disk, power-impelled mechanismfor rotating the disks, a stop device operatively connected to thepower-impelled mechanism, and mechanical connections between the pivotedcircuit-controlling levers and the power impelled mechanism, whereby thelatteris held or released at the will of an attendant and a particularsignal is transmitted to the exclusion of all other signalsin in thesame apparatus, substantially as described.

5. In a multiple signal-transmitter, a series of signal-disks havingeach a prearranged order of contacts and all connected to a rotaryshaft, a series of pivoted contact-levers, one for each disk, a stopdevice carried by the rotary shaft for holding the impelling mechanismin check, a sliding bar or link operatively connected to all of thecontactlevers and to the stop device, whereby on operating anycontact-lever its signal-disk is operatively connected in circuit andthe impelling mechanism is simultaneously released, so that a signalwill be automatically transmitted, substantially as described.

6. In a signal-transmitter, a rotary shaft carrying a signal-diskfixedly secured thereto, having a prearranged order of electricalcontacts, impelling mechanism geared to said shaft for automaticallyrotating it, a protecting disk or guard connected to thelateral face ofthe signal-disk, a pivoted contact-lever normally out of operativerelation with the signal-disk, a stop device carried by the rotary shaftfor holding the impelling mechanism in check, mechanical connectionsbetween the contact-lever and the stop device, whereby the contact-leveris placed in operative relation with the signal-disk and the impellingmechanism is simultaneously released, so that a signal will beautomatically trans mitted, substantially as described.

7 In a signaltransmitter, a signal-disk having a prearranged order ofelectrical contacts, in combination with a pivoted contacting levernormally out of circuit with said disk, and a stop device carried by arotary shaft and having a lever-and-link connection with the pivotedcontacting lever, as described, whereby the contacting lever is held inoperative relation with the disk during its rotation, but prevented frombeing so placed if the disk is rotated beforethe leveris turned,substantially as described.

8. A multiple signal-transm tter having individual transmitting-disksfixedly secured to a common shaft geared to an impelling mechanism, aseries of pivoted signal-levers,

one for each disk, a stop device for holding the impelling mechanism incheck, and leverand-link connectionsbetween the signal-levers and thestop device, whereby any signal may be sent on actuating its lever andthe latter restored to normal condition after the signal is sent,substantially as described.

9. Two or more rotary shafts geared to a common actuating mechanism andeach provided with one or more individual signaltransmitters, incombination with a stop device carried by one of the shafts for normallyholding the actuating mechanism in check, and lever-and-link connectionsbetween the signal transmitters and said stop device, whereby theactuating mechanism is released and any signal transmitted and themechanism automatically restored to normal condition, substantially asdescribed.

10. In an electrical system of automatic signaling, a main line, asignaling battery, a multiple signaling transmitter having two or moresignal-disks fixedly secured to a rotary shaft geared to'an impellingmechanism, anda stop device having lever-and-link connections with thetransmitters for restoring them to normal condition after they have oncebeen set and the propersignal transmitted, in combination with notchedprotecting guards or disks, one for each signal-disk, and a series ofindividual signaling receivers, one for each individual transmitter,substantially as described.

11. A multiple signal-transmitter having a series of transmitting-disksfixed to a rotary shaft, each disk having a notched protecting disk orguard,in combination with a series of pivoted signal or contact levershaving their contacting ends in the path of the notches of said disks,substantially as described.

12. In a signal-transmitter, a signal-transmitting disk having aprearranged signal on its face, and a notched protecting disk or guard,in combination with a pivoted transinitting-lever having its contactingend located in the path of the notch, substantially IO as described.

CHARLES J. KINTNER.

Witnesses:

, ALEX. P. SHAW,

A. V. HINEY.

